What to See in Sioux City - Top Sights and Attractions

Through arch bridge in South Sioux City, Nebraska. The Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge is a through arch bridge which carries U.S. Route 77 across the Missouri River between Sioux City, Iowa, and South Sioux City, Nebraska.

The bridge replaced the Combination Bridge, so called because it carried both rail and highway traffic, built in 1896. The previous bridge was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in 1980, prior to its replacement.

The current bridge was dedicated in July 1981, and the previous one was demolished. However, in May 1982 a 32-inch (810 mm) crack was discovered in the downstream tie girder. The bridge was hurriedly closed, and measures taken to ensure that it would not collapse into the river, affecting barge traffic. Initially, it was estimated that repairs would take six days; in fact, the bridge was completely closed for seven months, and did not fully re-open to traffic until May 1983.^[7]

Congregational church in Sioux City, Iowa. The First Congregational Church, also known as Iglesia Pentecostes Evangelica Principe de Paz, is a house of worship located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. An architectural rarity, it is one of a small group of churches in the Prairie School style of architecture. Designed primarily in the Prairie style with some eclectic touches by architect William L. Steele, its horizontal lines are emphasized by Roman brick and crisp rectilinear forms. Somewhat at variance are the distinctive dome and the prominent round heads on the windows.

Fresh from his triumph with the Woodbury County Courthouse in collaboration with George Grant Elmslie, and drawing on lessons learned during that collaboration, Steele built the church in 1916–1918. This church and the courthouse are the only two Prairie style buildings that are known to have a dome.

It was built for a Congregational church that had been established in Sioux City back in 1857, replacing a more traditional church that had burned down in 1916. In 1966, that congregation built a new structure on Hamilton Boulevard. First Congregational Church sold the building to Sioux City Baptist Church c. 1968. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 under that name. In 2009, Sioux City Baptist Church acquired a building on Viking Drive. Most recently, the building has become the Iglesia Evangelica Pentecostes Principe de Paz (Evangelical Pentecostal Church of the Prince of Peace), with services in Spanish aimed at the local Hispanic community.

Due to the need for extensive building restoration and maintenance, the structure has been named to endangered building lists by at least two historic preservation groups.^[11]

The Grandview Park Music Pavilion is a historic structure located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The Monahan Post Band raised money in 1930 to build a modest music shell in the park. Construction was already underway when the park's neighbors objected to the design. The project was put on hold as the band raised more money and sought a more suitable design. After President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civil Works Administration in 1933, the city applied to have the new music shell included in Sioux City's projects. Henry L. Kamphoefner, an unknown Sioux City architect at that time, drew up the plans for the structure. The sculptural plaques on the front of the pavilion were designed by Herschel Elarth. The CWA approved the project on February 26, 1934, as CWA Project Number 217. The construction project required 52 tons of reinforcing steel, 4,200 bags of Portland cement, and 300 bags of white cement, and it was completed on October 17, 1934. Seating was constructed for 5,000 in the natural amphitheater. The pavilion was built using $47,436 from Federal Relief funds and $3,800 in materials from the city. It was dedicated in the spring of 1935. The Monahan Post Band continued to play here until 1948, when they became the Sioux City Municipal Band. They continue the summer-time tradition. The music pavilion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.^[12]

The Boston Block, also known as Aalfs Manufacturing Company, is a historic building located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The city experienced a building boom that began in the late 1880s and continued into the early 1890s. One of the major players in that building boom was the Boston Investment Company, a company on the East Coast who built four large commercial blocks in Sioux City simultaneously. Construction on the four buildings began in 1890 and they were completed the following year. In addition to the commercial blocks, they also built a steam heating plant that provided steam and light to three of the buildings as well as to neighboring buildings. The Massachusetts Block on the southwest corner of Fourth and Jackson was six stories tall and had a similar facade as the Boston Block, which is five stories tall on the northeast corner of Fourth and Virginia. The Plymouth Block on the southeast corner of Fourth and Locust was also five stories tall, and the Bay State Block on Fourth Street is the shortest at four stories. Among the building's tenants was the Aalfs Manufacturing Company, which used the building as its headquarters.

The architect of the four buildings is unknown, but John G. Mainland served as supervising architect. The Boston Block is a Richardsonian Romanesque structure that features rusticated stone veneer with a two-story iron and glass storefront. The original storefront was extensively altered in 1948, and it was altered again in 1984. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and as a contributing property in the Fourth Street Historic District in 1995.^[17]

The Evans Block, also known as Northwestern National Bank Building, is a historic building located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The city experienced a building boom that began in the late 1880s and continued into the early 1890s. Fred T. Evans, an entrepreneur who had business interests in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, had this building constructed to house Northwestern National Bank of which he was the president. The bank occupied the main level and other offices were housed on the upper floors. Local architect Charles Brown designed the four-story Romanesque Revival style building. The Black Hills sandstone for the public facades was from Evans' quarry. The Panic of 1893 brought Sioux City's building boom to an end, and the Evans block was sold in January 1895. Subsequently, the building has housed a hotel, a factory, a saloon, and a variety of stores. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and as a contributing property in the Fourth Street Historic District in 1995.^[18]

Building. The Federal Building and United States Courthouse is located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The present city hall in Sioux City was previously the post office, federal building and courthouse. This building replaced it. It was designed by the local architectural firm of Beuttler & Arnold with the Des Moines firm of Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas providing input and oversight. Construction began in 1932 under the direction of the Acting Supervising Architect of the Treasury James A. Wetmore. The building was dedicated on December 29, 1933. The Federal Government had paid $270,000 for the property, and about $725,000 on construction. Architecturally, the three-story, stone structure is a combination of Stripped Classicism and Art Deco. The post office moved to a new facility in 1984, and additional office space and a new courtroom were created in the building. A further renovation was undertaken from 1999 to 2000 and a third courtroom a judge's chamber, jury deliberation room, library, and holding cell for defendants were added. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.^[19]